By Jerry Wright
As Nigeria’s ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC), gets set to
elect a new set of leaders in June to run its affairs for the next four
years, all eyes are on the party’s highest office, the position of national
chairman. Already, names of possible contenders for the post are already
being bandied around among different interest groups in the party.
Among those who have been mentioned in the race is the current national
chairman of the APC, Chief John Odigie-Oyegun, who is eligible to seek
another four years in office, the former governor of Edo state Adams
Oshiomhole, a former governor of Cross River state in the Third Republic,
Clement Ebri and an ex-minister of petroleum under General Sani Abacha’s
regime, Don Etiebet.
78-years Oyegun, was a former executive governor of Edo State between 1992
and 1993, during the aborted Nigerian Third Republic. He emerged the
chairman of the party on June 14, 2014 as a consensus candidate for most of
the senior chieftains of the party.
After he led the party to victory in the 2015 presidential election,
analysts said Oyegun began to make certain moves that further polarized a
party that was already struggling with various interests due to its merger
before the elections. Activities in the last few months in the party, shows
that Oyegun has lost the confidence of most members of the party and might
be shown the way out of the party in June.
On his part, 66-years old Oshiomole, the immediate past governor of Edo
state, is seen as a candidate of a certain bloc in the party. Critics say
Oshiomole will only do the bidding of his sponsors if he gets the position.
The former Edo state governor has also been described as one who hardly
accepts criticisms, especially when they directly affect him.
For Ebri, he is seen generally as an unknown figure within the party and
its structures nationally. Critics say he does not have the required
national spread to appeal to the various political blocs within the ruling
party. The question regarding his popularity and visibility nationwide is
said to be a major obstacle to his ambition
As for Etiebet, his lack of consistency in terms of party loyalty might be
his greatest undoing. He is also not in the thick of things in his home
state of Akwa Ibom. Critics say Etiebet cannot be trusted with such a
position even though he is said to be a close friend to the president. Many
are of the opinion that, the president and other leaders of the party need
someone who will tell them the truth to their faces.
One person whose name continues to spring up in this direction is the
outgoing deputy national publicity secretary of the party, Comrade Timi
Frank. Comrade Frank has been a consistent voice in the party, calling the
attention of President Muhammadu Buhari and other national leaders to some
of the injustices he had seen even before they became public knowledge. He
has also cautioned the party severally on some moves that later backfired
and came back to haunt its image.
A young but very experienced politician, Comrade Frank has seen it all in
Nigeria’s politics having been a youth leader for the former ruling party,
the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), for years. His experience in
politicking spans almost two decades, and he has the ears of most political
leaders spread across the six geo-political zones of the country.
In the last two years, there has been intense clamour from young Nigerians
to occupy very senior political positions in the country. Comrade Frank is
a perfect representation of this generational shift that young Nigerians
seek to take them out of the present political quagmire across the country,
that not only affect them presently, but also affects their future.
Comrade Frank’s disposition towards political party supremacy is also key
to taking the party to the next level. Over time, political parties’
leaders in the country are not respected, and by extension the party’s
rules. The ruling APC needs a leader with the political will to insist on
doing things right, especially as the 2019 general elections draws near.
His insistence on standing by the truth at all times no matter whose ox is
gored, is also a reminder for the APC delegates that will be part of the
fortcoming national convention to key into the aspiration of the
Bayelsa-born politician who have been on both sides of the divide and have
constant interaction with members of the public. Indeed, politicians of his
like are rare in these times.
It is good to note that Comrade Frank acceptability is not limited to young
stakeholders of the party, he has been seen also to be acceptable even to
the elderly. He has wined and dine with all category of people and will
surely harmonise the currently divided interest in the APC if given
opportunity.
Comrade Frank has always stood on the side of the Nigerian people at all
times even at the expense of hurting his own party. It is to his credit
that the outgoing APC leadership has been kept on their toes to ensure
financial transparency in the party affairs, respect for rule of law,
discipline of party members, respect for party elders and the need to shun
imposition through his constant but constructive criticisms. This is the
kind of character the ruling party needs to sail its ship especially as we
approach an election year.
Jerry Wright, is an Abuja based multimedia Journalist.